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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Transportation TriMet Unveils MAX Green Line, Confetti Cannon

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 9:35 AM

Tuesday morning several hundred extra special politicians, journalists, transit nerds and TriMet staffers got a sneak peek at a transit project thirty years in the making: finally, finally, the MAX made its first trip out to the deep southeast nether regions of Lents and Clackamas.

The shiny new train rolled up to the still unfinished station at NW 6th and Davis yesterday morning only 14 minutes behind schedule, interrupting Representative Brent Barton and Bicycle Transportation Alliance Director Scott Bricker's conversation about what sort of Bianchi Barton should buy now that the legislative session is over and he has time to breathe. They boarded the elite first car of the new train but there was no room for my bike up with the VIPS so I wound up in the second car, packed in with a full load of TriMet staff.

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I learned a thing or two riding the light rail all the way out to Clackamas shoulder to shoulder with the people who designed and built the tracks. Here are six things to expect from the city's newest light rail line when it opens for public use in September.

1. Train envy. The old MAX trains look boxy and retro compared to the slope-nosed, sleek Green Line trains. Not only do the new trains (built in Sacramento, FYI) have more seats and more standing room, they have huge windows and a horseshoe of seats at the front that provide a sort of panoramic view. Their seriously market-tested yellow and blue color scheme is one that, according to TriMet marketing director Carolyn Young, riders chose as the most "warm, friendly and modern."

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Are you feeling warm and modern yet?

2. Backslapping all around. "Having a new MAX line open is something everyone dreams of in this town," said U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer after the train pulled into its last station at Clackamas Town Center. "This is such a significant accomplishment that you need to celebrate it several times." Then everyone munched on strawberries and a confetti cannon explosion erupted from the roof of a parking garage! The Green Line's $575 million pricetag came out of a lot of pockets — 60 percent from federal sources and the 40 percent from the City of Portland, Clackamas County, the Oregon Department of Transportation and a slew of other local partners. Perhaps most important negotiators were local politicians back in the 70s who insisted that construction of the I-205 include a lane set aside for mass transit. Only thirty long years later and the land ODOT set aside is actually being put to its full use!

3. More commuters, fewer cars. The Green Line has eight new stops across Southeast Portland and more than 2,300 new parking spaces meant to suck suburban commuters who usually drive into downtown Portland onto light rail instead. Blumenauer noted that the new line will hopefully decrease car miles traveled in the region, though he says Portland families already save an average of $2,000 a year because they are “trapped in their cars less frequently.”

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Take the train to scenic Lents!

4. Politicians showing up to congratulate Portland and pontificate on sustainability. Rep Blumenauer rubbed shoulders on the Clackamas Town Center platform with Senator Jeff Merkley, Oregon State Reps Jules Kopel-Bailey and Brent Barton, Metro Councilor Carlotta Collette and several other local officials. "This has a wonderful, wonderful green impact on our communities," said Merkley, calling out Portland as the nation's green leader.

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U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, probably intensely discussing sustainability.


5. More shopping sprees at the Clackamas Town Center. There is something bizarrely exhilarating about soaring high above the Home Depot and car-clogged highways on the new trains. Everyone felt the excitement — an entire family in swimsuits whose house borders the mall parking lots waved to the passing MAX. At the end of the line, coming to rest outside the vast parking sea of CTC, the car of TriMet staffers and engineers whooped and applauded.

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End of the line.

6. Giant public art installations. 1.5 percent of the project funding went to art at the stations. Some are subtle pieces, like metallic tiles covering station platform signs. Others are more, uh, “public arty” — I glimpsed what resembled an aluminum pine tree dangling with ornaments at one station and tall poles spinning with bright metal sails at another.

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I don't have any pictures of the art, but I want to prove that I was not lying about the strawberries.

 

Comments (19) RSS

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1
7. Ticket machines broken in a warm, friendly, modern manner
Posted by Chunty McHutchence on July 1, 2009 at 9:58 AM · Report
2
Brent Barton riding a bike. Thanks for that. Funniest thing I've read all year.
Posted by a.O on July 1, 2009 at 10:13 AM · Report
3
MMMM. Chocolate chip cookies. Hot damn.
Posted by ujfoyt on July 1, 2009 at 11:07 AM · Report
4
Thank God for the Green Line. How else would I get to Clackamas Town Center sans car for the sole purpose of spending my $20 Olive Garden gift card?
Posted by dirigibleduck on July 1, 2009 at 11:10 AM · Report
5
Sarah, how long did the ride take?
Posted by Blabby on July 1, 2009 at 11:20 AM · Report
6
We all just can't WAIT for the gangster exchange program to start!
Posted by D on July 1, 2009 at 11:22 AM · Report
7
You know what would be awesome? Re-opening the 205 bike path to Clackamas. Maybe if the BTA wanted to accomplish something concrete they could get on that.
Posted by rico on July 1, 2009 at 11:33 AM · Report
8
Blabby - when the line is up and running it's supposed to take 34 minutes from the Rose Quarter to Clackamas. The preview train got pretty behind schedule picking politicians up and making speeches etc. etc. so it took almost an hour from beginning to end.
Posted by s.mirk on July 1, 2009 at 11:36 AM · Report
9
Rico - the bike path! They opened up a chunk of it yesterday and the rest is supposed to be open in September when the line launches. If that makes you feel any better.
Posted by s.mirk on July 1, 2009 at 11:38 AM · Report
10
Sarah -

It wasn't just staff in the 2nd car... Congressman Woo was there and a few members of various local city and county governments, and Congressman Blumenauer boarded the 2nd car mid-way through the run. I hope to post video of some brief interviews I did with various folks yesterday and today up at PortlandTransport.com by tomorrow.
Posted by Bob R. on July 1, 2009 at 11:42 AM · Report
11
Where's a fare inspector when you need one?

I bet nobody paid! They could have written up the whole train.
Posted by Chunty McHutchence on July 1, 2009 at 12:22 PM · Report
12
A load of suits boarded outside my work (at the psu urban plaza stop), and I watched it take off (not that I haven't seen this train going by for the past month). And I wondered, "I wonder if Sarah Mirk is on that?" And she was!

So, when the ped/transit bridge is built, this train will connect to Milwaukie? But it won't be a full loop?
Posted by ROM on July 1, 2009 at 12:30 PM · Report
13
I bet nobody paid! They could have written up the whole train.

Somebody recognized me from the ticket machine video I did (with Matt Davis) awhile back, and jokingly demanded to see my fare. :-)
Posted by Bob R. on July 1, 2009 at 1:02 PM · Report
14
Sarah - the real question is, did they build the bridge over Foster yet? (i.e. the one for the multi-use path) Tri-Met stated 3 years ago that it would be built as part of the project, and it was dangled like a carrot as payment for closing the path for 2+ years and diverting everyone to 92nd Avenue. Have they built it yet, and will that also open in September? I haven't been out there lately, and assumed that the path was riding over Foster on the light-rail bridge, but if bikeportland.org is correct, that seems to not be the case.
Posted by Matt Picio on July 1, 2009 at 2:06 PM · Report
15
What an incomplete article. What about the actual ride? Smells? Features?

Bah.
Posted by NIG GER on July 1, 2009 at 2:29 PM · Report
16
Oregonian article on the reopening of the bike path:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/…
Posted by Chunty McHutchence on July 1, 2009 at 2:48 PM · Report
17
The only winners of this GREEN LINE are the property owners along the line!

Who the hell needs light rail to Clackamas Town Center?
Posted by Al M on July 1, 2009 at 11:26 PM · Report
18
A new website identifies 'consumer-friendly' businesses near every station. Called PortlandLightRail.net, it has 360 degree videos of every station and maps to help riders live, work & play by train.
Posted by RanLoot on July 2, 2009 at 7:50 AM · Report
19
ROM - the Milwaukie link is different and the two don't connect. That could be a smart idea, though.

Matt - that trail (from Foster to CTC) is going to open in September. Mary Fetsch says that portion COULD open now, but they got stimulus funds to put in lighting, so they're keeping it closed while they put in lights over the summer. "Not sure about opening the portion south of gladstone," write Fetsch.
Posted by s.mirk on July 2, 2009 at 11:03 AM · Report

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